85 my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. 18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. 19 nd when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. 20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. 21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh. 22 He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me. 23 ehold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the nighttime. 24 nd by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me. 25 nd upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. nd mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them. 26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions? 27 nd why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy? 28 wake, my soul! No longer droop in sin.
86 Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul. 29 o not anger again because of mine enemies. o not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions. 30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation. 31 O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? 1 Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? 2 Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin? 32 May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, E that I may walk in the path of the low valley, E that I may be strict in the plain road! 33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! 1 O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! 2 Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way-- but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy. 34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm. 35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. ehold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God.[3] men. 5:1[4] ehold, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cry much unto the Lord my God, because of the anger of my brethren. 2
2 Nephi 5 87 ut behold, their anger did increase against me, insomuch that they did seek to take away my life.3 Yea, they did murmur against me, saying: Our younger brother thinks to rule over us; E and we have had much trial because of him; F wherefore, now let us slay him, that we may not be afflicted more because of his words. E For behold, we will not have him to be our ruler; for it belongs unto us, who are the elder brethren, to rule over this people. 4 Now I do not write upon these plates all the words which they murmured against me. ut it sufficeth me to say, that they did seek to take away my life. 5 nd it came to pass that the Lord did warn me, that I, Nephi, should depart from them and flee into the wilderness, and all those who would go with me. 6 Wherefore, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did take my family, and also Zoram and his family, and Sam, mine elder brother and his family, and Jacob and Joseph, my younger brethren, and also my sisters, and all those who would go with me. nd all those who would go with me were those who believed in the warnings and the revelations of God; wherefore, they did hearken unto my words. 7 a nd we did take our tents and whatsoever things were possible for us, b b and did journey in the wilderness for the space of many days. nd after we had journeyed for the space of many days a we did pitch our tents. 8 nd my people would that we should call the name of the place Nephi; wherefore, we did call it Nephi. 9 nd all those who were with me did take upon them to call themselves the people of Nephi. 10 nd we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things according to the law of Moses. 11 nd the Lord was with us; and we did prosper exceedingly; for we did sow seed, and we did reap again in abundance. nd we began to raise flocks, and herds, and animals of every kind. 12
88 2 Nephi 5 nd I, Nephi, had also brought the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass; and also the ball, or compass, which was prepared for my father by the hand of the Lord, according to that which is written. 13 nd it came to pass that we began to prosper exceedingly, and to multiply in the land. 14 nd I, Nephi, did take the sword of Laban, and after the manner of it did make many swords, lest by any means the people who were now called Lamanites should come upon us and destroy us; for I knew their hatred towards me and my children and those who were called my people. 15 nd I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance. 16 nd I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon's temple. ut the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine. 17 nd it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my people to be industrious, and to labor with their hands. 18 nd it came to pass that they would that I should be their king. ut I, Nephi, was desirous that they should have no king; nevertheless, I did for them according to that which was in my power. 19 nd behold, the words of the Lord had been fulfilled unto my brethren, which he spake concerning them, that I should be their ruler and their teacher. Wherefore, I had been their ruler and their teacher, according to the commandments of the Lord, until the time they sought to take away my life. 20 Wherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto me, saying that: Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. nd behold, they were cut off from his presence. 21 nd he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint;
2 Nephi 5 89 wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them. 22 nd thus saith the Lord God: I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent of their iniquities. 23 nd cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed; for they shall be cursed even with the same cursing. nd the Lord spake it, and it was done. 24 nd because of their cursing which was upon them they did become an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for beasts of prey. 25 nd the Lord God said unto me: They shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in remembrance of me; and inasmuch as they will not remember me, and hearken unto my words, they shall scourge them even unto destruction. 26 nd it came to pass that I, Nephi, did consecrate Jacob and Joseph, that they should be priests and teachers over the land of my people. 27 nd it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness. 28 nd thirty years had passed away from the time we left Jerusalem. 29 nd I, Nephi, had kept the records upon my plates, which I had made, of my people thus far. 30 E 1 nd it came to pass that the Lord God said unto me: E 2 Make other plates; E 3 and thou shalt engraven many things upon them which are good in my sight, E 4 for the profit of thy people. 31 E 1 Wherefore, I, Nephi, to be obedient to the commandments of the Lord, E 2 went and made these plates E 3 upon which I have engraven these things. 32 nd I engraved that which is pleasing unto God. E 4 nd if my people are pleased with the things of God they will be pleased with mine engravings which are upon these plates. 33 nd if my people desire to know the more particular part of the history of my people they must search mine other plates. 34 nd it sufficeth me to say that forty years had passed away, and we had already had wars and contentions with our brethren.[5]
90 3. The chevron in 30-35 can be read as a spiral without changing a single word and make perfect sense ( 1 1 E). 4. hapter 4 in the 1830 edition. Notes 1. hapter 3 of the 1830 edition begins with verse 1. 2. This is the longest block of text in this work in which I found no obvious structure. 5. Thus ends Spencer s the fall segment, 1 Nephi 19-2 Nephi 5, the irreversible separation of the Lamanites and the Nephites. Next comes the atonement, 2 Nephi 6-30.